1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for automatically filling prescriptions, and more particularly to a computer controlled system for dispensing containers (e.g., pill bottles) and then filling the bottles with pills, wherein a robotic arm removes bulk containers one at a time and then fills a selected bottle with a selected number of pills from the selected bulk container.
2. General Background of the Invention
In the pharmaceutical industry, many different types of pills must be quickly dispensed into pill bottles in order to efficiently provide prescription services to patients. Several such systems have been patented that disclose devices attempting to automate pill prescription services.
Kerney Hurst is a named inventor of a number of issued and now expired U.S. patents that deal with counting articles such as pills from a cassette or drum.
Issued Filing Expiration U.S. Pat. No. Date Date Title Date Inventors 3,045,864 07/24/62 06/25/59 "Article 07/24/79 Hurst/ Counting Device" Pearson 3,170,627 02/23/65 07/08/63 "Article 02/23/82 Pearson/ Counting Device" Hurst 3,215,310 11/02/65 07/03/62 "Article 11/02/82 Hurst/ Counting Device" Pearson 3,266,664 08/16/66 06/09/65 "Article 08/16/83 Pearson/ Counting Device" Hurst 3,368,713 02/13/68 08/15/66 "Article 02/13/85 Hurst/ Counting Device" Pearson 4,111,332 09/05/78 12/16/74 "Article 09/05/95 Hurst/ Counting Device" Pearson 4,171,065 10/16/79 12/06/76 "Circuitry And 10/16/96 Hurst System For Controlling Multi-Use Article Dispensing Cells
A more recent Kerney Hurst patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,394 which relates to a cassette for holding pills to be dispensed. The cassettes of the Hurst '394 patent cooperate with a counter/dispenser having a motor drive that rotates a drum inside the cassette to dispense and count pills contained in the drum. A selected pill in a selected cassette is placed upon the motor drive when a prescription is to be filled. The druggist then selects a number of pills using a numeric key pad entry. The druggist also selects a desired size pill bottle and places that pill bottle under the counter/dispenser so that when the motor drive rotates the drum contained within the cassette, the desired number of pills are dispensed from the cassette through the counter/dispenser and into the pill bottle.
Recent patents deal with the concept of automating the process of filling a prescription. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,208,762 and 5,337,919. The '762 patent, issued to Charhut et al., discloses a method and apparatus for dispensing drugs, wherein a patient's order of one or more prescriptions is automatically filled. Various drugs are stored in three or more filler lines. A vial size is assigned to each line. When a prescription is filled, it is automatically assigned to a line in view of the vial size requirements and processed accordingly. Provisions are made for the inability to fill a prescription or order. Subsequently, all of the patient's prescriptions are collected and made available as a single order.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,919, issued to Spaulding et al., discloses an automatic prescription dispensing system that includes a housing or frame having a plurality of pill dispenser units mounted therein, a plurality of vial supply assemblies at one end of the housing, and a filled vial off load carousel at an opposite end. A vial manipulator assembly is mounted on the housing to enable translational movement of a vial manipulator frame vertically and horizontally and pivoting about a vertical axis to retrieve vials from the supply assemblies, fill the vials at the dispenser units, and deposit the filled vials onto the carousel. The vial manipulator frame includes spring loaded grippers to engage and carry the vials and a drive motor and gear for meshing with dispenser unit gears to operate the dispenser units. The system includes a controller including an interface for coupling to the printer port of a pharmacy host computer printer port for intercepting drug name and quantity data for a prescription which was directed to a prescription label printer. Such prescription data is used by the controller for selecting the dispenser unit having the required drug, vial size, and number of pills to be dispensed.
Some automated drug filling systems automatically fill a prescription and even apply a cap to the pill bottle. These are typically very expensive devices that are only justifiable to very large end users such as hospitals.
There is a need for an automated prescription filling system that includes a bottle dispenser that can be used by smaller and medium sized users such as pharmacies as opposed to very large hospitals.
There is also a need for a container (e.g., pill bottle) dispensing system that uses a cabinet or shelving unit that holds storage containers that can quickly and automatically access a container for subsequent filling (e.g., with a selected pill).